Debts, Gangsters and Arranged Marriages
by aominecchi0831
Summary: When Kagami-chan came back to Japan, she never expected to find her father running away from a very huge debt, nor end up getting into an arranged marriage with a stubborn heir of a notorious yakuza clan. Then again, as people say, she should always expect the unexpected.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Debts, Gangsters and Arranged Marriages

**Ship:** Aomine x Kagami

**Plot:** When Kagami-chan came back to Japan, she never expected to find her father running away from a very huge debt, nor end up getting into an arranged marriage with a stubborn heir of a notorious yakuza clan. Then again, as people say, she should always expect the unexpected.

I always remember the witty quote spoken by a college teacher: "Shit happens in life." Not only does it sound funny, it also makes sense. Sometimes a person's fate is already messed up, even if he or she hasn't done anything wrong. There will always be a moment or two that can flip your world upside down, or rightside left – to some kind of path you didn't want to take.

Take Kagami Taiga, for example. She is a headstrong, feisty, sixteen-year-old Japanese girl who's been studying in America. She has not done anything wrong against destiny, but destiny seems to have a grudge against her.

Then there's Aomine Daiki. Apparently, fate has set its eyes upon him even before he was born. For Aomine happens to be the heir to a well-known yakuza clan in Tokyo. Too bad that was the last thing he wanted to be.

And if you think life couldn't get any more complicated for these two, read how the cosmos conspire to screw their fates together.

I.

Imayoshi Shoichi's most frequented room in the house would be the tea room. It was a modest, sparsely furnished square room, with doors that were brilliantly painted with landscapes and animals. His most favorite panel was the one painted with a tiger on top of a rock mountain. When opened, it leads to the veranda facing a beautiful zen garden. In the tea room, he could forget all the business and family issues resting upon his shoulders. It was a place where he had a lot of time to relax.

That day, however, he was in the tea room for a different reason.

"Susa," Imayoshi was patiently waiting for the maidservant to fill his bowl with green tea.

"I think…this is the right time."

Susa Yohsinori stared at the _oyabun _with wide eyes.

"Boss…?" he could not believe what he was hearing.

Imayoshi smiled airily. He's enjoying the shocked expression on Susa's face.

"Don't look at me like that." He said.

"We both know it will happen soon. It has to."

"But boss, is there a problem? What made you decide so hastily?"

"Hastily?" Imayoshi raised an eyebrow. "No. I may not be old yet, but the position as the head of the family is not mine to begin with – I was only a temporary substitute."

"Still, don't you think it's a little too early?" Susa looked sincerely worried. Imayoshi managed the clan very well, so why leave the position now?

"No." Imayoshi said sternly. He paused for a while until the maidservant left the room. Women could only spread so few rumors.

"When _aniki _died, I made a promise to keep the businesses stable and uphold the family's legacy until his son is strong enough to lead us. Now's that time. I wouldn't want the heir to inherit everything when the loyalty of everyone is already on me."

"About that…" Susa spoke anxiously.

"Boss…I believe he's not ready for it."

"Eh? How is that so?"

"Well, you can see it…he's not into upholding legacies or anything."

Imayoshi scowled. "That's going to be another problem."

Susa gave him a puzzled look.

"Another problem…?" he repeated.

Imayoshi took a sip from his tea, ignoring Susa.

"Well." He spoke cheerfully afterwards.

"That problem's a lot easier to solve. Let's concentrate on the bigger puzzle. How can we get a suitable wife for Aomine?"

So how big is this puzzle that Imayoshi would like to solve? The best way to answer this question is by giving a proper description of our yakuza heir.

There is no better way of describing a brash young man than by finding out his activities at school.

"Woah! It's Aomine again!"

"Really? Where?"

"In front of the school building! Another group of delinquents came to challenge him!"

Teiko High never had a dull moment ever since Aomine Daiki came. Almost everyday, from the beginning of school year, all windows on the school's front building were teeming with nosy students who wanted to see action. Gangs form all over the city come just to challenge Aomine into a fight. It was almost a natural event, but no one will ever get used to it. Not even Momoi Satsuki herself, and she happens to be Aomine's cousin and childhood friend.

Momoi pushed her way into the crowd that gathered by the hallway windows to look outside. At the school's front grounds was a group of six young thugs, each one carrying a metal pipe or an aluminum baseball bat. Their sole opponent stood opposite them, unarmed. He was a six-foot-plus tall guy with a dark complexion, and was wearing a white longsleeved v-neck sweater over a blue buttoned-up shirt and a pair of blue slacks with a darker hue. His hair and eyes were dark blue, like midnight. His face creased into a scowl at that moment.

"You must be Aomine Daiki." spoke one of the delinquents, a rat-faced guy with shoulder length hair dyed in blond.

"Uh-huh." Aomine replied indifferently. "So what?"

Another thug, a stocky, bald guy wearing a leather jacket drummed his hand with his baseball bat.

"We've heard rumors about you." He said.

"The folks say you're the strongest kid in your family. Able to beat members from other organizations on your own." He smirked at the high school student.

"We'd like to find out if they're true."

Aomine heaved a sigh. So these guys knew they didn't stand a chance against him in the first place. He felt sorry for them already.

"Idiots." He murmured darkly under his breath.

He muttered the word a little louder than he should. But of course he did that on purpose. He just wanted the delinquents to know.

"Huh?!" the blonde said angrily.

The bald one did not bother talking; instead he gave a growl as he lunged at Aomine, his weapon raised to strike.

Aomine frowned at the first attacker. They are usually the ones he pitied the most.

The following moments quickly passed by like an action movie, as witnessed by the students and faculty staff of Teiko High at that time. The last thing the bald guy knew was that his rib cage met Aomine's left knee, and he went down to the ground and dropped the baseball bat before he could even feel the pain of having broken bones.

"Bastard!" the blond jerk and the rest of the motley gang attacked all at once.

Aomine kicked the loose baseball bat upwards and caught it with his right hand. He swung at the first guy that came close, hitting the face directly and breaking a jaw. He then kicked another guy in the chest, pushing the thug against two other fellows. Lastly, he went for the blond guy and gave him a hard punch in the face. Someone is going to need to make a dental appointment.

One of the pinioned guys suddenly got up and pulled out a knife. Aomine threw the baseball bat at him like a boomerang. The guy fell back to the ground, this time with a head trauma.

The students who watched the fight could not help but be stunned at Aomine's display of brutal expertise in martial arts. Aomine however, did not bother brag or beat his opponents any further. He simply walked back into the school building, with his head hung and his hands buried deep within the pockets of his pants. He was unsure whether he would go back to his classroom or he would go upstairs to the rooftop and go to sleep. Going back to the class would mean that he would get scolded by his teacher for fighting. He decided to go to the rooftop.

Unfortunately, a male student with pale skin, light blue hair and extreme lack of presence blocked his path.

"What are you doing here, Tetsu?" Aomine asked. He suddenly felt annoyed.

"The Student Council has formed new rules, ever since you came." Kuroko Tetsuya spoke plainly.

"Whenever a student is obliged to accept a challenge within the school grounds, a member of the Council has to be around to watch."

Aomine arched an eyebrow. "Who on earth made that rule?"

"The president did."

"Akashi?" Aomine could not suppress a grin. "Of course. He's the only one who would make that kind of rule."

Kuroko gazed upon the yakuza heir silently, and it made Aomine feel uneasy.

"What?"

"You're going to the rooftop again, Aomine-kun?"

"Obviously." Aomine grunted. "I don't want to hear the teacher's irritating voice." He stretched his arms and yawned loudly afterwards.

"Besides, beating up those stupid jerks made me feel sleepy."

Kuroko smiled. "You took them easily, Aomine-kun. But you don't seem to be satisfied fighting those guys."

Aomine huffed, then began to walk upstairs.

"Me? Getting satisfied after beating those weaklings? Don't make me laugh." He told Kuroko as the guy followed him.

"I'll only be satisfied once I meet someone who is strong enough to be my equal!"

Who is this someone that Aomine's been looking for? It certainly has to be a strong person. And that person has to have skills too. Most importantly, a person who can match Aomine Daiki also has o have that strong will power to fight.

Maybe that person was on her way home, fresh from America.


	2. Chapter 2

**So Chapter Two is a short description of (the now genderbend) Kagami Taiga, and an introduction of her sudden misfortune.**

**Disclaimer: KnB is created by none other than the great Fujimaki-sama**

**Oh, and I don't have a beta reader, so pardon for my grammar**

**Here you go.**

II.

Kagami Taiga had just arrived at the airport that same day. She came down from the plane, carrying a duffel bag on her left shoulder while pulling a black luggage with her right hand. She had an almost permanent smile on her face, but she could not help it; it had been years since she left Japan. Excitement overflowed her when she returned to her homeland. She could finally see her father again.

Kagami was an exchange student, and she has been studying in America since grade school. She was supposed to study there until she finished high school, but she had received a letter from her father a few weeks ago, and it made her come back sooner. In his letter, Kagami's father asked her to continue her education in Japan, so that he could be with her.

Papa wants to be with me, Kagami said to herself, and the thought filled her with warmth.

But just like any other form of love ruined by rotten luck, the warm anticipation for her father quickly disappeared as soon as she got in front of the door of their apartment. Pasted on the door was a sign saying: Kagami-san is away.

"Huh?" Kagami's face was a picture of confusion. Her father _**should **_know she was coming. Had I come to the wrong address? She wondered. But there was no mistake, for she knew Papa's home address, and she had no doubt that the sign was hand-written by him.

Where did Papa go at a time like this?

Her question was answered by a neighbor, a young man whom she had never seen before, not during the times she was living in the apartment with her family.

"Um, excuse me?" Kagami asked the young man. "Where's the resident of this apartment? Kagami-san?"

"Why?" the young man replied. "Are you here to rent that apartment?"

Kagami stared at him, puzzled. The apartment's now for rent?

The guy must have noticed her confusion. "Why are you asking for him? Are you related to Kagami-san?"

Kagami nodded. "I'm his daughter. Kagami Taiga."

The guy stared at her for a moment, bewildered.

"Do you have no idea," he told her, "what happened to him?"

Kagami swallowed. She had a feeling she would not want to hear what he was about to say.

"Just two days ago, a group of yakuza guys came looking for him." The young man said.

Kagami closed her eyes. No, no, no, she thought, please don't tell me.

The guy went on. "The thing is, Kagami-san was away on a trip that time. He hasn't come back until now. The landlord was scared that the goons might come back and cause trouble, so he decided to have the place for rent immediately."

"Yakuza?" Kagami raised an eyebrow. She had an idea what her father has done for the gangsters to come searching for him, but she asked anyway.

"I heard your father's in a huge debt." The young man said.

"Those gangsters probably want to ask for his payment…"

Kagami did not bother hearing the rest of the young man's words. She swiftly went outside of the apartment, and walked down the street.

Yakuza guys "asking" her father to pay his debt? Force him to cough up money sounds more fitting, she thought.

Due to the sudden turn of events, Kagami was forced to stay in a hotel for the night. She could not contact her father, no matter how many times she called. She sent a few e-mails, although she was sure that her father will not answer any of them. In the end, she dialed the phone and made an overseas call.

"Hello?" a mature, lively female voice answered her in English.

"Alex? It's me."

"Oh, Taiga! You've arrived in Japan already? How's it going?"

"It's okay…" Kagami's voice broke.

"Is there something wrong?" Alex sounded worried.

"Alex…I…have a favor to ask."

"Sure. Anything. Just tell me what it is."

Kagami held the phone in one hand as she grabbed a pen and began scribbling on a notepad.

"Alex…my documents for my enrollment…are they…?"

Alex immediately knew what Kagami was asking for. "They've been sent to Teiko High."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Your daddy made sure of it."

Kagami sighed in relief. At least she knew that her father did not entirely abandon her.

"Alex." She spoke in a whisper. "My father's gone."

"What?!" Alex shouted, petrified. "He's dead? How did it happen?"

"No – not dead." Kagami replied irritably.

"Unless the yakuza gets him. I think he's somewhere outside Tokyo, running away from debtors."

"Oh my god…but how about you? Are you ok?"

"Yes, don't worry about me. But I need to rent an apartment and get a job for now…I can't ask Papa for any support now that he's missing."

Alex paused for a minute. In the phone her silence sounded like static.

"All right." She said afterwards. "I'll send some money."

Kagami felt relieved. "Thank you so much." She said in Japanese.

"You're welcome." Alex chuckled.

"Are you sure you can manage on your own?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Ok. I'll send money right away."

"Thanks again, Alex."

"But tell me where to send the money, and call me once you get a place to live in, okay?"

"Ok." Kagami answered happily.

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! You're about to read chapter three. It shows a hint of Aomine's life, and what it has to do with Kagami's. The words "oyabun" and "kumicho" both refer to the head of the yakuza clan, but I used them to refer Aomine and Imayoshi separately.**

**Oh, and a hint about the villains of the story.**

**Douzo!**

III.

Aomine and Momoi usually walk home together after class. They have been studying in the same school ever since kindergarten. They also grew up in the same house, since Satsuki's parents were always away to do family business, either running casinos in Las Vegas or protecting upper-class European crime lords. Momoi may be called Aomine's annoying conscience, but to the yakuza heir she has been the younger sister he never had.

"You've been into another fight, Dai-chan." Momoi reprimanded her cousin the way his homeroom teachers would have done had he not cut class that day.

"It's beginning to become a common happening at school!"

"Eh? But it _**is **_a usual happening." Aomine answered her idly.

"It's not like jerks don't come often to try beating me up. It's always the same thing even when we were in grade school."

Momoi frowned. "But that's exactly the point. You always have to face those guys. You'll never have a normal life if you always get into fights – "

Aomine came into a halt, so suddenly that his cousin almost bumped into him.

"But this is my normal life." He muttered in a sullen tone.

He continued walking afterwards. Momoi followed him, but she was silent all the way until they came home.

The house of the Aomine family was an impressive, Japanese-style house within a very wide lawn surrounded by low, tile-roofed walls. There was another grand building that stood beside it, which was the dojo, and a smaller building at the back, which was the storage house. Occasionally, it serves as a guest room to kidnapped enemies or people whom they want to squeeze information out of.

There was also a vast garden, with trees and plants that were properly grown to suit the surroundings.

The wide gate opened to Aomine and Momoi, and they were greeted by a throng of powerful, ferocious-looking men, the members of the family.

"Welcome home, _kumicho_." They greeted Aomine with all respect, then Momoi.

"Welcome home, Onee-sama."

Imayoshi and Susa were already waiting for them in the entryway.

"Welcome home." Imayoshi said with a warm smile. It quickly made Aomine suspicious.

"Did something happen?" Aomine asked Susa.

"N-nothing, boss." Susa stammered.

Aomine apparently did not believe him.

"Spare me the secrets." He said tersely as he and Momoi removed their shoes and put on their slippers.

"What happened?" he stared at the two older guys the way one drills thick walls.

It was Imayoshi who answered first.

"Nothing happened, Aomine." He spoke offhandedly.

"We just got into a bind, trying to get some man pay his debt."

They all went to the living room. It was sparsely furnished like the tea room, with only a long, rectangular _chabudai _in its center for upholstery. And like the tea room its _shoji_ panels were delicately painted with beautiful landscape and animals that seem to move with life. There was an alcove on one side, where a television was placed.

Momoi turned the TV on as Aomine, imayoshi, and Susa gathered around the chabudai, and sat on floor cushions.

"So what's with this runaway debtor of ours?" Aomine asked.

Imayoshi showed delight in the yakuza heir's sudden interest in the family work. He could not suppress a smile as he leaned forward and spoke in a whisper.

"It's the triad." He told Aomine shrewdly.

"They asked us a favor."

Aomine stared at Momoi through the corner of his eye, and wondered if she was listening to their conversation. She seemed intent on watching her favorite TV show, however.

"There's this man who borrowed a lot of money from them." Imayoshi continued. "The triad says the guy needed the money to raise his daughter, after he lost his wife in an accident."

Aomine listened to the current _oyabun_'s story. For some reason he felt a slight curiosity towards the debtor they were after.

"Apparently, the daughter has no idea he is in a great debt, for she's currently studying abroad. And so when the man realized the Triad sent us to get him, he quickly left the city."

Imayoshi could very well see the dark look in Aomine's eyes. The _oyabun _knew that the heir did not like being ordered around by someone else. Especially if that someone else is from a group of Chinese syndicates lurking in Tokyo.

"You know I hate following stupid orders." Aomine spoke in a low, guttural voice.

"Specially orders that come from that pesky Triad.

"But it cannot be avoided." Imayoshi replied.

"The target's living within our territory. The Triad knew better than suddenly barging into our place. So they asked us a favor." A devious smile played on his lips.

"Besides, we'll get paid for the job…"

Aomine grunted, then he stood up quickly.

"You said the guy's probably left Tokyo, right?" he said.

"If that's the case, then we have nothing to do with him anymore." He strode out of the living room.

Susa watched the _kumicho_ as he left.

"See, Susa?" Imayoshi suddenly spoke to him. "He behaves like a boss. I believe he can do it…"

"Right…" Susa was still unconvinced.

"But, boss, what about the marriage…?"

Imayoshi glanced at Momoi; he thought he saw the girl twitch upon hearing the word 'marriage'.

"Don't worry." Imayoshi said airily. "We'll get to that."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! So now you're reading chapter four. This part focuses mainly on Kagami-chan, and it also introduces other characters that are going to take part in the story.**

**Douzo!**

IV.

Hot water dripped down over Kagami's long, red hair as she took a shower that night. She allowed the heat to get into her head for a minute, and let the feeling of bliss take over. She wanted to relax, so that she could plan for her next action.

She put on a pair of pyjamas and a t-shirt after taking a shower, then jumped into the bed. She rolled onto her stomach, as she dug her head into the soft white pillow. She grabbed her cell phone from the bedside table, and unfolded it. She gazed at the image of her and her father on the home screen, thoughtfully.

"What have you done, Papa…?" she murmured in wonder. She was still disappointed at her father for running away without telling her what happened, but she was much worried about his safety. She had lost her mother at a young age; she didn't want her father to disappear next.

She really missed him so much.

Kagami sniffed, as she fought the tears that were blurring her eyesight. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand as they began to drop down her cheeks.

"No." she said to herself, in a determined voice that would have made Papa proud, had he been with her.

"I need to get moving."

Kagami decided that without her family, she has to be independent and precocious. And so the next day, she set out to find a new home and a job.

.

.

.

Kagami woke up early to begin her independent and mature life. She got dressed, packed some important stuff in a cute tiger backpack, and left the hotel without checking out.

She went around Tokyo on foot. It was not easy, but Kagami knew she had better chances of seeing establishments that were in need of workers if she was walking. She first went to claim the money sent by Alex. Her American friend had given her ten thousand dollars, which was more than what she asked for. Kagami had some thank-yous to say later.

Next, she began to look for a cheap apartment for rent. She sat on a bench in a small park for a while to read advertisements in a daily newspaper. She found one, and much to her luck, it was somewhere close to Teiko High.

Kagami believed in seizing the opportunity before the day ends, so she immediately took a walk to get to the apartment. It was not far from where she was, after all.

She was halfway to her targeted apartment when she came to a hill, before which stood a huge red _torii_.

"A shrine…" Kagami murmured. She crossed the road and walked uphill. She wanted to pray for good fortune. She badly needed it.

.

.

.

Kagami climbed to the top of the hill, where a small, modest shrine stood. In front of it a tall young man was sweeping the ground silently, as if he was in the middle of meditation and not doing a chore.

"Excuse me." Kagami spoke politely. The young man stared at her with thoughtful green eyes, through a pair of black-framed eyeglasses.

"Are you…the shrine priest here?"

The young man pushed his glasses closer to his face. Kagami then noticed that the fingers of his left hand were all wrapped in tape.

"I'm only an apprentice here." He said.

"How may I help you?"

Kagami smiled. "I'm only here to pray."

"Go on, then. The shrine is always open to everyone."

Kagami tossed a coin into the offering box resting at the shrine's front and prayed. At that time, she could feel the apprentice's eyes on her. She turned around after she was done with her prayer. She could see him looking at her thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Kagami felt uneasy.

The apprentice kept his gaze at her for a while. He suddenly shook his head.

"Nothing." He said weakly.

Kagami bowed in deference to him, and left the shrine in silence. She could still feel the apprentice staring at her.

Just as she walked down the ancient stone steps of the hill, another young man came running uphill to the shrine. Like the apprentice he was wearing a white kimono top and a blue _hakama_. He has short black hair and eyes that look sharp like a hawk's.

.

.

.

Midorima Shintaro, the apprentice of the Shinto priest at the shrine, watched the red-haired girl as she left.

"Shin-chan!" Kazunari Takao, a fellow apprentice, came running towards him. He noticed the faraway look in Midorima's eye.

"Shin-chan. What's wrong?"

Midorima glanced at him. He looked as if he had just woken up form a dream.

"Nothing." He said.

"It's just that…the girl who just came here a while ago."

"Yeah, I saw her." Kazunari arched an eyebrow. "What about her?"

"She has this strange luck." Midorima spoke vaguely.

Kazunari gave him a look. "Strange luck? What are you talking about, Shin-chan?"

.

.

.

Kagami's prayer quickly began to take effect. That same day, just right after she went to the shrine, she had found a cheap apartment room for rent. It was a dormitory-type of apartment, and most of its residents were students from the nearby schools, although there were a few college students who stayed. Her room was spacious enough for two persons, complete with furniture and appliances.

"Of course, you still have to pay for the other bills, like water and phone bills." Said the landlady, Aida Riko.

"That's fine by me." Kagami replied.

"That's good! When are you planning to move?"

"Tomorrow."

"All right. I'll have your payment, plus a month's advance tomorrow."

"Can I pay today?" Kagami wished to avoid further hassles tomorrow.

"You want to pay today?" The landlady got delighted. "Great! Let's settle everything in my office…"

As they walked to her office she muttered. "If only Hyuuga-kun would pay for his rent this month, everything would be better…"

Before the two ladies could enter the office at the first floor, they suddenly heard a loud banging noise from a nearby room. Riko's eyes flared in fury.

"Koganei!" She shrieked. "What are you doing?"

Kagami could not help but jump upon hearing the landlady scream.

"S-sorry." A teenaged guy came out of the nearby room. His face reminded Kagami of cats.

"Oi! What's that noise all about!" another teenager, a serious-looking guy with short black hair and rimless eyeglasses came. He looked as if his temper could rival that of the landlady, Kagami observed.

"Hyuuga-kun." Riko called the serious-looking guy.

"Um…can I pay now? I need to go look for a job after this." Kagami could not wait to leave the apartment; she could sense trouble coming.

"A job?" Hyuuga glanced at her.

"You're still studying in high school, are you? You're looking for a part-time job?"

Kagami nodded yes in reply.

"I need to support myself for the meantime." She said ambiguously. She did not want to inform her new neighbors that her family is in a great debt and that the yakuza are after them.

"A job, you say?" Riko spoke while strangling Koganei. The cat-faced guy was turning purple.

"There's a restaurant in need of a worker nearby. Just turn right after you get out of this lot."

"Really?" Kagami bowed gratefully. "Thank you! I'm glad you said that."

The landlady grinned at her in return.

"It'll be better if you give your advance payment before leaving." she said.

.

.

.

The restaurant in question was a small shop, located just two blocks away from Kagami's new apartment. Its specialty was Japanese food, particularly ramen. It was also a well-known spot for street brawl. Of course, Kagami had no idea about the restaurant's reputation.

The restaurant was yet to open when Kagami came. A worker was placing a sign in front of the shop.

"Excuse me." Kagami called the worker, who suddenly jumped in surprise.

"I'm – I'm sorry!" the worker bowed from the waist. He was a frail-looking guy with light brown hair and large brown eyes.

"You're sorry for what?" Kagami arched her eyebrows, puzzled.

"I'm sorry I did not know you've been there for so long."

"No, it's all right. I came here just a few seconds ago."

"I'm sorry I didn't know you came in just a few seconds ago." The guy could not stop bowing apologetically.

"Seriously…stop saying sorry."

"I'm sorry because I'm saying sorry."

All that Kagami could do was smile at the frail-looking guy. Who could blame her? She just rented an apartment that has weird neighbors. Now she was about to apply for a job where she'd probably face weird co-workers.

"We need to clean up inside, Sakurai." Someone shouted form inside the restaurant.

Another worker came out. He was the exact opposite of the frail-looking guy: tall and muscular, with short, spiky blond hair and a loud personality. He wasn't exactly the kind of guy you would like to serve your food.

Sakurai glanced at the loud guy and gave a nod.

"Wakamatsu-san." He acknowledged him.

Wakamatsu eyed Kagami from head to toe.

"Sorry miss, but we aren't open for business until nine."

"But I'm not here to eat." Kagami replied. "I'm here to apply for a part-time job…"

Wakamatsu and Sakurai glanced at each other. Then they both stared at Kagami in wonder.

"Are you sure?" Wakamatsu asked her the way one would ask a person if he's crazy.

"Yes, I am." Kagami answered eagerly.

Wakamatsu winced. He stared at her uncertainly for a minute.

"All right." He spoke finally. "You can start working tomorrow at seven in the evening."

Kagami stood still for a moment, puzzled.

"Eh?" she was too dumbstruck to mumble.

"You heard me. You're hired." Wakamatsu spoke as if hiring a girl on the spot without the need for any interview was the most normal thing in the world. "You got a problem with that?"

"N-no!" Kagami exclaimed, with a nervous smile. The last thing she wanted was to lose the sudden blessing of a job that was given to her.

"But I'm moving to my new home tomorrow. Just at the apartment nearby."

Wakamatsu shrugged. "Ok. Give me your resume, and see you when you can finally come to work."

Kagami's jaw dropped. This guy was a lot easier to talk to than he looked.

Nevertheless, she bowed deeply, grateful to be hired.

"Thank you very much!" she said.


	5. Chapter 5

V.

Aomine was in a foul mood that same day. Just a few blocks from his home he had beaten up a thief who unluckily ran into him. Then he scared away a group of delinquents that took their sweet time with a vending machine, blocking the yakuza heir's path. Then he kicked the balls of a man who was harassing a girl outside a small club. Just anyone who was up to no good at that time gets the opportunity to meet Aomine's fists.

The reason for this hostility was Momoi. Although technically, it was not her fault. She only served as a messenger, telling Aomine to do some "chores" while Imayoshi was out-of-town pursuing the runaway debtor. So Aomine reluctantly had to visit the family businesses within their territory in Tokyo, as well as get the payment from some of the residents and shops for the yakuza's services. Aomine resented yakuza work, but he had no choice. Imayoshi-san, after all, is not the kind of guy you'd want to disobey.

Thus, annoyed he may be, Aomine began his task after he got home from school.

"I'll get this done quickly." Aomine stared at the small piece of paper in his hand. It contained the list of people he had to visit. Just a couple of old shop owners who owed them protection fee. And a young man, a member of the yakuza, who ran a small Japanese restaurant.

Aomine smirked. He'll visit the restaurant first. If there's any consolation with his job, it was that he didn't have to eat anything that his cousin cooked for dinner.

* * *

Wakamatsu's restaurant was at its busiest during evening, between six o'clock and eight, when office workers and some students stop by to have dinner. Occasionally, rowdy customers come in and cause trouble, but Wakamatsu handled the situation easily. Not only was he a restaurant manager, he was also it security guard.

Sakurai, on the other hand, has been Wakamatsu's assistant for almost five years. For a chef who has no certificate from any culinary school, Sakurai was quick and skilful in making food. His specialty was making food look as good as it tasted. That is why many of the first-time customers in the restaurant think that the cook was probably Wakamatsu's own mother.

"Wakamatsu-san!" Sakurai shouted from behind a counter. "The two giant bowls of ramen are ready."

"Ok!" Wakamatsu rushed to the counter and brought the two big bowls of hot and delicious ramen to a table where two office workers were waiting for their order.

It was right at this busy moment that the real owner of the restaurant arrived, carrying a look on his face that was usually seen whenever he felt like annoying Wakamatsu.

Luckily, it was Sakurai who saw him first.

"Aomine-san!" he bowed from the waist, his head almost hitting the surface of the counter. "Welcome!"

Aomine answered the respectful greeting with a lopsided grin.

"Can I have _gyudon_ for dinner?" he asked.

Sakurai bobbed his head in a servile manner.

"I'm sorry. I'll cook it right away." He quickly ran to the kitchen.

Aomine arched an eyebrow, wondering what was there to apologize for. Then again, he remembered that Sakurai apologizes for everything. So he decided to sit down and forget about it.

"Oi, Aomine!"

With a swift right hand Aomine stopped Wakamatsu's incoming fist. He glanced at the restaurant manager, whose face was contorted by anger.

Aomine smirked. "Nice to see you too, Wakamatsu."

Wakamatsu answered him with a glare.

"You jerk." He said. "Where's the boss?"

"The boss?" Aomine spoke wryly. "I am the boss."

"No, you're not the boss yet!" Wakamatsu said through gritted teeth.

"And, to be honest with you – you don't deserve to be one."

Aomine sighed. Wakamatsu was the only member of the yakuza who had the guts to be openly angry at him. Of course, there's also his cousin, but Momoi's anger was simply about petty matters and would not last for a week. Wakamatsu was different. His anger at him was all due to his respect to the family, particularly to the _oyabun_. He disliked how Aomine simply ignore his responsibilities as heir.

Wakamatsu's respect to the family was very high, that Aomine was having a hard time trying to deserve it. Not that he seriously tried.

"Stop ranting like a kid, and sit down." Aomine let go of Wakamatsu's hand.

"Don't scare the customers away."

Wakamatsu glanced around. He could see some of the customers stare at the two of them.

Aomine smiled jauntily, pretending to be casual and friendly. "We haven't talked for a long time…"

For a guy who has a volatile temperament, Wakamatsu calmly analyzed the situation and complied. He sat down by the table in front of Aomine. The best thing to do is ride along and pretend you're friends.

"So why are you here?" Wakamatsu asked. He was still angry.

"Imayoshi is somewhere outside Tokyo." Aomine answered. "Trying to catch some guy who owes the Triad some money."

"A guy borrowed some money from the Triad?" Wakamatsu had an incredulous look on his face.

"What and idiot. And I thought there can't be any other guy more stupid than you."

Aomine scoffed. "Look who's talking."

Wakamatsu was about to flip the table and lunge at Aomine, but Sakurai came just in time, carrying a beef bowl in a round tray.

"I'm sorry it took so long." Sakurai spoke as he placed the order on the table.

Aomine just picked up a pair of chopsticks when Wakamatsu grabbed the meal away from him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Aomine was infuriated. He snapped the chopsticks with one hand.

"You can't eat this." Wakamatsu said.

"You never paid for any meal you ate here."

"Why should I? My family owns this place."

"So what? You're a customer. Pay for what you eat, you jerk."

"Sure, I'll pay – after I get my profit from you."

This squabble between Aomine and Wakamatsu is very normal. It always happens every time they were together. Put them in the same room, and that room will crumble once they fight. It was not any kind of grudge or hatred. They simply get into each other's nerves all the time. This often results to a fatal, if inevitable, all-out brawl.

Sakurai (who would definitely be sorry if he could not stop the two guys from fighting) quickly rushed to mediate.

"Calm down, Aomine-san, Wakamatsu-san!" He said with a nervous smile. The customers were staring at them, and some were about to leave.

"W-wakamatsu-san! More customers are waiting for their food. Aomine-san, please eat your _gyudon; _you can pay later."

The tension quickly subsided, much to Sakurai's relief. Wakamatsu went to wait for customers' orders, and Aomine was left in peace with his _gyudon_.

* * *

Aomine did not bother to stay in the restaurant for too long. Not because Wakamatsu wanted him to leave. It was because of the thirty-five messages in his phone, all coming from Momoi, asking why he hasn't come home.

He waited outside the restaurant, when Sakurai came out, holding a manila envelope.

"I'm sorry it took so long." He said as he handed over the envelope. It felt thick and heavy in Aomine's hands. Six months' rent and the partial profit from the restaurant.

"Thanks." The bluenette said as he hid the parcel inside his jacket.

"Um…" Sakurai spoke timidly. "When…when will Imayoshi-san return?"

Aomine shrugged. "I don't know. It depends, on whether he'll catch the debtor soon." He suddenly frowned. "Is there a problem?"

Sakurai rapidly shook his head.

"No." he said. "Everything's fine. We just want to tell him we've hired a helper in the restaurant."

"Oh?" Aomine was surprised. Wakamatsu and Sakurai never hired any other worker for years. No helper could withstand the daily brawling in the restaurant. Whoever they hired has to be a martial artist of some sort.

"Who's the guy in need of money?" he asked curiously.

"It's a part time worker who just moved in this area." Sakurai answered. "Would you please tell Imayoshi-san?"

"Ok." Aomine grinned. "Good luck with that part-time worker of yours."

Sakurai bowed. "I'm sorry about what happened a while ago."

Aomine stared at him and winced.

"Haven't you gotten used to it?" he said.

* * *

Imayoshi entered a nearly dilapidated apartment in Osaka, not far from the Tsuutenkaku tower. He had made contact with the family's various connections all over the country. Luckily, his subordinates around the Kansai region tracked down a certain person that fits the description of the guy he'd been looking for.

The apartment was dark and cramped inside. A lot of the rooms were no longer used, and those that were occupied were in a horrible condition. A trio of dirty toddlers hid behind the shadow of a doorway as they saw Imayoshi climbed upstairs to the second floor, followed by a small army of sword-wielding big men in black suits.

The second floor looked abandoned, save for the only room that had light inside. It was the farthest room from the stairway, and the only occupied one on the second floor.

"Search the area." Imayoshi commanded. The bug guys immediately disassembled to search the place. Imayoshi headed for the room where the light was coming from. He wondered for a moment if he has finally found him.

He found the door unlocked, much to his disappointment. To Imayoshi it was a certain sign that he failed. Nevertheless, he held the knob and opened the door.

The room was small and smelled of age and poverty. With one glance around the place, who ever lived there must have left in a hurry. There was a half-eaten cup of noodles on the table, the few dishes on the sink still unclean, and the cigarette butts in the ashtray were still burning.

Imayoshi walked around, looking for something that could lead him to his prey. He was rummaging in the closet when the big guys came.

"Oyabun-san," said one of them in a gravelly tone.

"We could not find him. He must have left a few hours before we came."

Within a pile of worn t-shirts and abandoned clothing, Imayoshi struck gold.

"Don't worry." He said, his eyes staring intently at the photograph he just found.


	6. Chapter 6

**VI.**

**Domo! I'm back! Internship took much of my time, so I had a hard time updating. I really appreciate all the reviews, follows, and favorites!**

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is created by none other than the great Fujimaki-sama**

**Ship: Aomine x fem! Kagami**

**Douzo!**

* * *

A week has passed since Kagami came in Japan. She had been waiting for her father to contact her, but nothing happened. She even visited their old apartment twice, in case he had left any clues of his whereabouts to her, but none of the neighbors knew anything. In the end, Kagami decided to try living normally, continuing her studies and working part-time in a restaurant.

Kagami had been absent for an entire week because of the disappearance of her father, so today was her first day in Teiko High.

"Darn it! I'm gonna be late!"

The apartment room almost shook as Kagami hurriedly cleaned herself and dressed up to go to school. She hastily grabbed her book bag and stuffed a nutri-bar into her mouth. Then she put on her shoes and scampered out of her home.

She met the landlady on her way downstairs.

"Good morning." Riko had a cheerful aura around her.

"Can't talk any longer." Kagami replied through a mouthful of her supposed breakfast.

"I see." Riko was still smiling; her good mood implied that someone has finally paid his rent.

"You're gonna get late. Why don't you use Hyuuga-kun's bike?"

Kagami titled her head to one side in hesitation. "Will that be ok with him?"

Riko chuckled. "Of course, don't worry. Hyuuga is a generous guy after all."

Kagami wasn't sure whether she would believe her, but she thanked Riko and hurried off.

At that same time, Hyuuga Junpei came out of his apartment room and saw Kagami leaving with his bicycle.

"What – " his eyes widened in surprise. "Oi! That's mine!"

* * *

It is a decree in every high school to start the week with a morning assembly. Students gather at the school grounds and the principal would have a saying or two about the activities for the week, and the school anthem would be sung by everyone.

Teiko High naturally would have done the same thing, had the not been a slight emergency. A new group of juvenile delinquents chose the worst possible time to challenge Aomine in a fight. These guys were better equipped: they're bikers, but not the flashy _bosozoku_ type. They were exactly the kind of gang who would beat up an innocent person just to show off. Unfortunately, Aomine was known to be a tardy student, especially at the beginning of school week, so he was not around to save the day. The faculty was planning to call the police.

"_Kaichou_!" Furihata Kouki burst into the vast and opulent Student Council office, panting hard because he climbed four floors just to tell the news.

"We've got an emergency…Aomine-san is not here…and there are bikers outside…"

There were two people in the office at that time: Kuroko was standing by the window, watching the bikers circle the school grounds. The other person was the Student Council's almighty president, Akashi Seijuuro, a charismatic, if not despotic, young man with bloodred hair and eyes that seem to be able to read your mind.

The two of them seemed frighteningly calm despite the tension outside.

"Shall we send the Student Force Unit to neutralize them?" Akashi planned his actions like he was having a conversation about the weather.

Student Force Unit? Furihata wondered if the president was joking. Then again, Akashi was not the type of person who makes casual jokes especially in the midst of crisis, and he was exactly the kind of guy who can train a unit of students to defend the school from evildoers.

Kuroko kept on watching below, and an amused smile played on his lips.

"There's no need for that." He told Akashi.

"Eh?" Furihata's jaw dropped. So the school _**does**_ have its own army.

Akashi on the other hand, got intrigued by Kuroko's remark. Kuroko beckoned the red-haired president to join him by the window.

"You should see this." He said to him. "A wild tiger."

* * *

Kagami took a lot of shortcuts (she jumped over some low fences as if Hyuuga's bike was an equestrian horse) and successfully made it to Teiko High, exactly just in time for the weekly assembly. She was expecting the school gate to be blocked by an angry teacher who would furiously scold her, but she saw no one. She sneaked to the nearest bike rack to park. Then she took a shortcut to the school building by passing by the sports field. But she had spotted trouble on her way. A group of five leather-clad thugs were circling the area with their souped-up bikes, scaring the students off. They were screaming and roaring with laughter as they harassed anyone nearby.

"Oi, oi, where's your hero Aomine?" growled a chubby man with bushy hair and stubble on his chin. He resembled a caveman.

"Tell him to come out! We want him!"

"Yeah!" agreed the other bikers.

"Where's that gangster brat?"

"Tell him to come out of his hiding place!"

"What's he doing? His homework?"

They cackled with evil glee as they went on parading around the field. They looked like an army of bison, thought Kagami. No wonder there's no teacher watching at the gate.

A teacher bravely made his way towards the goons, hoping to send them away by means of communication. But Kagami knew better. She had seen a lot of meaner biker gangs in America. They didn't like being told off.

"Please," the teacher spoke pleadingly. "Aomine-kun is not around. Leave our school alone."

The answer he got was a kick on the stomach. The teacher doubled over and immediately curled into a ball on the ground.

"Now hold on a second!" Kagami walked towards the thugs in long, angry strides.

"How dare you? Why would you hurt an innocent person?" she glared at the caveman-looking guy.

The bikers eyed Kagami in a malicious way. One of them even whistled a catcall at her. Kagami's eyes flared in fury.

"Hey there, cutie." said the caveman. "Wanna go out with us?" they sneered at her like a bunch of stupid dogs. Kagami furrowed her eyebrows in irritation. She hated dogs.

"Leave this place." She spoke in a low, dark tone. "Now."

"Or what?" the caveman answered insolently. "You're gonna hurt us?"

He roared in laughter. The other bikers followed suit.

Then Kagami knocked the caveman out with a straight, left hand jab in the face.

* * *

Akashi is the type of guy who rarely gets excited. Today was one of those rare instances. He watched Kagami fight the delinquents the way a kid watched a dolphin show for the first time.

It was an amazing sight, really. Nobody expected that a five-foot-three red-haired chick with a well-endowed body could pack in such a punch. Then again, nobody knew that she was a black belter in four martial art disciplines. Kagami never told anyone about it. Verbally.

The caveman biker was the first to fall down. Quickly the other four got off their bikes and attacked Kagami. She knocked the first guy to come close by giving a right hook on his jaw. The guy dropped to the ground, and stayed there. The other three froze for a moment, suddenly realizing that the girl before them was not to be underestimated.

Kagami glanced at the students, and called one guy, who was carrying a _shinai_.

"Hey," she told him, "can I have that? Just for a sec."

The guys did not hesitate and tossed the bamboo sword to the feisty redhead.

Kagami caught the sword expertly, and with two hands she drew the weapon towards the remaining bikers. She took the stance of a professional _kendo_ master, and braced herself to fight.

The bikers were already shaking with fear.

"I _**will**_ hurt you, all right." Kagami growled under her breath, and charged at them.

Three muscled delinquents did not stand a chance against a high school girl holding a bamboo sword. She whacked their heads and arms the way a samurai would have chopped heads and eviscerated bodies. In the end, the bikers ran away with bruised faces and purple limbs. The school roared with cheers and shouts for Kagami.

Kagami took a moment to watch the thugs leave, and smiled smugly. The idiots chose the wrong day to fight.

She then turned her attention to the teacher.

"Sorry for the trouble, _sensei_." She said sweetly and apologetically. "Are you ok?"

The teacher has already recovered from the beat up, but he sat still on the ground, gaping at her. His stunned expression made Kagami giggle.

"That's a yes, I think." She said to him.

* * *

Back in the Student Council Office, Akashi could not suppress an expression of amazement. His heterochromatic eyes gleamed, and his lips formed a rather sinister smile.

"Kouki." The redhead spoke at once.

"Y-yes?" Furihata stuttered; he knew the president has a crazy plan going on within his mind.

"That girl with the fiery red hair. I haven't seen her before. She's obviously a transfer student. I want you to get a copy of her records in the office."

"R-records?" Furihata asked hesitantly. Student records are supposed to be private and not to be pried on.

Akashi narrowed his eyes at him. "You heard me."

Furihata bowed abruptly at the president, before quickly leaving the room. Private or not,

Akashi is going to have the new girl's records.

Kuroko glanced at the redhead.

"You're going to force her to join your student army, aren't you?" he asked.

"What? No." Akashi spoke innocently.

"I'm only going to _**persuade**_ her…"

* * *

**Nee, don't forget to leave a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**VI.**

**Domo!**

**Thank you for reviewing, following, and loving this fanfic. I know you had a hard time reading the first chapters, as they lacked page breakers. Truth be told, I've edited all the past chapters, only to see no changes in the end. I beg you pardon.**

**And we've almost (almost!) reached the chapter when Aomine and Kagami are going to meet!**

**But let's see how Kagami-chan survives Teiko High first, before anything else.**

**Douzo!**

Aomine was literally late to hear the news about a new student who solely kicked more than one ass in a fight during the morning assembly.

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi came running upstairs to the rooftop, where Aomine was taking a nap because he had missed much of the morning classes due to his tardiness.

"Get out of here, Satsuki." Aomine grunted. His long figure stretched out on the floor lazily.

"I'm trying to sleep."

"You were late because you overslept!" Momoi deliberately kicked her cousin in the stomach.

"Ow! What's that for?" Aomine got up, and touched the part where she dug her foot into.

"Have you heard the news?" Momoi asked. "About the new student?"

Aomine scratched his head lazily. "Yeah, I did. So what?"

"Don't you feel a bit worried? Threatened?"

"Threatened?" Aomine smirked. "By who? A guy who just beat up a motley group of idiots?"

Momoi was about to say something else, but he suddenly stood up and walked towards the rooftop entrance.

"Why do they fuss about it, really?" Aomine spoke in a mocking tone.

"Stop looking so bothered, Satsuki!" he waved his hand as if to drive her worries away.

"The only one who can beat me is me!"

And he was gone. Momoi frowned. She was unable to say that the new student was actually a girl.

.

.

.

Kagami could not believe her fortune that day. She instantly became popular after beating those pathetic macho men who called themselves gangsters. For the first two hours, she had somehow enjoyed her luck: the teachers did not get angry at her for being late – in fact, they thought she came just in time, like a knight in shining armor. Kagami was happy to be appreciated, but she did not want fame. Soon she became irritated with the guys who were trying to make a pass on her.

"Such annoying idiots." Kagami grumbled as she stomped away from the school cafeteria, carrying her lunch – five sandwiches, plus a big bottle of water. She could not eat her lunch while she was in the dining hall, nor in the classroom, due to her classmates, as well as students from other sections, who were bugging her. She searched all over the school for a peaceful, quiet place where she can have lunch. Both the school garden and the rooftop were full of noisy students having lunch, and so were all of the other classrooms. Of course, she could not eat in the library nor in the laboratories.

So she took refuge in an empty music room.

Truth be told, it was not allowed to eat in the music room, either. But Kagami had no choice, and she was really hungry.

She sneaked into the room and sat by the grand piano, which stood on one corner, right beside by the window. She liked the view outside, as well as the fresh air. With no one to bother her, Kagami began to eat lunch in peace.

"That's a lot of food for a girl of your size."

Kagami almost choked her third sandwich when a calm, expressionless voice suddenly spoke. She abruptly glanced around to look for the source of the voice. The room was spacious, and well-lit; where could a person hide?

"Here."

Kagami looked over her shoulder. A pale young man with sky blue hair and big, sky blue eyes was standing behind her.

"Gyaah!" Kagami nearly fell from her seat.

The guy simply stared at her, as if he already knew that she'd jump in horror at the sight of him.

"W-who are you?"Kagami asked as soon a she recovered from shock.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." The pale young man answered flatly. He stared past her, at her lunch which was placed on top of the piano's heavy keyboard lid. "That's a lot of food."

Kagami's face contorted to express irritation.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped.

"I should be the one to ask you that." Kuroko replied.

"This is a music room: you should not eat here."

"How am I supposed to have lunch in a room full of annoying people?"

"They can't help it. They all find you amazing." Kuroko had a hint of smile playing on his lips.

"Even kaichou-sama…"

"Kaichou?" Kagami raised an eyebrow in wonder.

"I take it that you haven't joined any clubs yet?" Kuroko suddenly changed the topic.

"Yeah." Kagami replied tentatively. "What about it?"

"The Student Council wishes you to join their respected ranks."

"Uh…what?" Kagami could not understand what she was hearing.

"The president would like to see you now."

"Now?" Kagami was dumbfounded. "As in…"

Another young man stepped into the scene. He was a few inches taller than Kuroko, and his presence was screaming authority all over the place. He has bloodred hair, and eyes that were of mismatched colors: one orb was red, the other one was gold.

Kagami knew a person's strength simply by gut feeling. This redhead was slapping her face with a despotic aura.

"Kagami Taiga." The red haired guy had a smug smile on his lips. His heterochromatic eyes stared at her the way a warlord would look down a slave.

"This is just a shot in the dark, but you must be the Student Council President." Kagami guessed.

The red-haired guy chuckled softly.

"You're smarter than what you records say." He scoffed.

Kagami could feel the veins popping in her temples. Whoever this guy was he managed to find out just how well (or rather, how _**unwell**_) she did during her schooling in America.

The red-haired offender stood beside Kuroko. Together, they looked like twins. Albeit twins with perfectly contrasting characteristics.

"What's your name?" Kagami asked the redhead.

"I am Akashi Seijuuro. As you already know, I am the president of the Student Council here in Teiko High." The guy did not sound like he was bragging, but he surely implied that he's the boss.

"I am here to offer you an opportunity."

Kagami scowled. She did not like the two young men standing in front of her. It was only their first meeting, and they were already treating her like she was some sort of creature from the lowest part of the food chain. Or a puny peasant within their huge empire. Or a mere mortal who owed her short life to these gods.

They may be the boss, but I won't budge, Kagami said to herself.

"I don't want it." She suddenly spoke.

Akashi's eyes flashed at her. "Excuse me?"

"I said I don't want it." Kagami spoke in a firm tone. "Whatever opportunity you're offering."

Akashi stared at her, frozen by shock. Apparently he was not used to refusal.

"You haven't heard our proposal yet." He stammered.

"I don't care." Kagami stood up and grabbed her lunch.

"I don't want it."

She stormed off. Kuroko watched her as she left the music room, and then glanced at the president. Akashi looked the same, probably except the tension of his veins pulsing in his temples and his fists tightly curling into balls.

"Kaichou." Kuroko spoke softly in an attempt to calm the redhead.

"Tetsuya." Akashi spoke in a low, threatening voice.

"Summon Atsushi and the Judo club. That girl will not leave Teiko alive."

The Student Council President was not kidding, Kuroko thought. _**Especially at times when he does not get what he wants.**_

All of a sudden Kuroko paled - if he could get any paler.


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII.**

**At last! Here's the chapter where our two protagonists meet. Again, forgive me for the ridiculous grammar.**

**Also, I would like to ask you a favor: will you please leave a review after reading any of my fanfics? I would really appreciate it. Sharing ideas with readers and fellow writers is fun, I think.**

**Oh, and my birthday's on July 1, so please…**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

Aside from the morning brawl and the heated argument she had with the two tyrannical guys during lunchtime, Kagami's first day at Teiko High went well.

Not.

After classes and cleaning hours, Kagami took her bag and walked to the bike rack. She wanted to go to the restaurant early. Wakamatsu had once reminded her to prioritize her education above everything else, but it wasn't like Kagami had any choice aside from working hard in order to sustain her daily needs.

She rode on Hyuuga-kun's bike which she had hijacked earlier in the morning. She was about to leave when a giant suddenly came.

Well, technically, they were giants. A group of big young men, all of them six-feet-tall at the very least, approached the bike rack where Kagami stayed, frozen in awe at the sight of them. They were wearing loose, white clothes, the uniform of the school's feared Judo club. A certain guy stood out among them. Literally. He was a lanky young man who was almost seven feet tall. He has long, purple hair, and carried a bored expression on his face.

Kagami had to crane her neck upwards just to take a look at every single one of them.

"Eh?" she realized that she had been surrounded by a great wall of humanity.

The tallest guy glanced about, as if searching for something. He then lowered his head to look at her face.

"Nee," the tallest guy spoke like a five year old, much to Kagami's surprise, "have you seen a girl around whose name is Kagami Taiga?"

A thought quickly came into Kagami's mind. _**Akashi Seijuuro!**_

_**That jerk must have sent these guys to get me…**_

"No – I haven't seen her," Kagami answered him innocently, "whoever she is."

"Is that so..?" the lanky guy scratched his head in a lazy manner.

"Um…" Kagami could no longer hide her anxiety. She had to get out of the school before the big guys realize who she was.

"Will you please move over? I really…I really need to go to my part time job now."

The big guys immediately moved aside, and she quickly sped away from them.

.

.

.

"She's cute, don't you think?" spoke the captain of the Judo Club, Okamura Kenichi.

"Yes, you're right." agreed the Chinese exchange student, Wei Liu. He then glanced at the lanky guy, who stood beside him like a tree.

"Shall we keep on looking, Murasakibara?"

Murasakibara Atsushi returned his stare. "Uh-huh." He said lazily.

"Aka-chin and Kuro-chin are going to get angry if we don't get the red-haired Kagami Taiga join the Student Force Unit."

Red-haired? Wei thought. The girl they just allowed to go was a redhead as well.

Murasakibara yawned. "Let's go…"

"I…think we have a problem." Wei said.

"Eh?" Okamura was puzzled. "What is it?"

"I think…that girl who just left…she's Kagami Taiga."

.

.

.

As Kagami had thought, her ruse was immediately found out. She pedaled her bike as hard as she could, hoping to get away from the group of giants who were angry because she had tricked them. But who could blame her? It was survival of the fittest at this point.

The chase would resemble the movie The Fast and The Furious, Kagami being the fast while the Judo Boys the furious. Of all the big guys, the tallest one scared her the most. Despite his gangly appearance, he ran way ahead of his comrades, like a professional sprinter. Underneath the long, purple mane, his eyes flashed fury, like a beast eyeing his prey.

_**Do what preys do best,**_ thought Kagami.

_**Run like hell.**_

She was pedaling the bike at full speed that she no longer noticed the ramp-like plane of wood leaning against a wall ahead of her. She hardly had the chance to use the handbrakes, so she ran over the ramp and flew sky high like a rocket.

The big guys of the Judo club skidded into a halt as they saw Kagami soar high in the air, thrown away to heaven knows where.

"What are we gonna do now?" Okamura asked timidly.

"Shall we go after her?"

"Of course not." Murasakibara snapped uncharacteristically.

"We can't fly, anyway."

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The girl occurred, all of a sudden.

She appeared right in front of Aomine. At that time he was on his way home, leaving Momoi, who stayed at the school to do some extracurricular activity. Strangely enough, he was daydreaming about goddesses coming down from the heavens when it happened.

He could never forget how she looked when they met. She had this long river of crimson hair that has the liveliness of a fire, and framed her beautiful, nut-brown skin. Her presence was that of a headstrong, confident and determined person, although at that time it was partially changed by fear and shock. She was wearing Teiko High's female student uniform, and was riding a simple, old-fashioned bike.

Aomine met her by accident – literally. She came flying – again literally – and her bike wheels slammed right into his face when he crossed the intersection on his way home. He has no idea how the hell she did it – how can a girl manage to come out of nowhere, albeit that nowhere was a high location, which was probably the sky. He had never seen anything like it before.

Moreover, he had never seen anyone like her.

"Are you ok?"

Aomine could only be thankful that he was walking down a suburban area without so many people around. It would have been a shame if anyone saw the heir to one of Tokyo's most respected yakuza clans sprawled on the street, his face tattooed with wheel pattern, and was half-conscious. All because of a stupid bike accident.

"Wait a minute…let me check if you're bleeding…"

For a moment all he could see was darkness. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and light played tricks upon him, showing blurry images reeling before his sight.

"Well, you're not wounded." Spoke the girl airily.

"Bruised, yes, but I think you're a strong guy! You can handle it on your own."

…_**Wait a minute.**_

"Oi!" Aomine sat up. His sudden movement was followed by a sharp jolt of pain caused by some bruises. He stared at her, dumbfounded. She was already leaving, walking away like nothing happened, while ushering her damaged bike.

"Where the heck do you think you're going?!"

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**I'm not sure when exactly I shall post the next chap, but I will try my best to update as soon as possible!**

**REVIEW?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yo!**

**This is chapter nine. I know some of you felt like you were left hanging by the first AoKaga encounter.**

**I did that on purpose.**

**You see, I want the transition from their first meeting to their next encounter to go as smoothly as possible.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews, follows, favorites and so on.**

**And I'm sorry for the late update. It's hard to write three fanfics all at the same time while writing a news report about men kicking pregnant women.**

**Anyway, it's here.**

**Douzo!**

IX.

**What an annoying boy,** thought Kagami.

Just when she got away from big (seriously) trouble, she directly jumped into another one.

She accidentally ran into a tall young man with short, dark blue hair and tanned complexion who, unfortunately, was crossing an intersection that time. She tried to run away from him at first, but the guy had a greater constitution than she had thought.

"Oi!" he shouted. "Where do you think you're going?!"

_**Crap**__,_ Kagami thought.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, while holding her (well, Hyuuga's) bike.

"Are you badly hurt?" she asked.

The tall young man stood up, and it took him a lot of effort to do so.

"Not at all." He answered her sarcastically. Blood was dripping down his forehead.

_**Crap, crap, crap,**_ Kagami could just feel her heart pounding nervously in her ribcage.

_**I can't afford the medical fees right now, please don't get angry at me please, please…**_

"Aren't you supposed to come with me to the hospital because of this?" the guy said.

"I…" Kagami smiled in an effort to hide the fact that she was lying. "I…was about to call for help."

"Really." The guy sounded like he didn't believe her at all.

"That's…good…"

Kagami's tension skyrocketed to the top. The tall guy fainted, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

_**Oh no,**_ she thought,_** I really don't have money for your medical fees…**_

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"…What?"

It was unfortunate that the Judo Club chose the worst time to report to Akashi about the incident with Kagami Taiga. At that time the Student Council President was playing a game of chess with his paramour Kuroko. It was a surprisingly close match, and the pale-skinned bluenette seemed to have the upper hand. But that was due to the fact that Akashi was excited about getting even with Kagami.

"I think I've misheard." Akashi was gripping Kuroko's black queen, which he had beaten a few minutes ago before Murasakibara and his cronies arrived.

"Did you just say that Kagami Taiga managed to escape – to run away from _**all **_of you?"

Kuroko, who slightly shuddered at the sight of his queen getting crushed in the hands of his beloved president, glanced away. He stole a sidelong look at the demoralized big guys, especially at Murasakibara. The purple haired giant no longer wore a bored, lazy, droopy look. His face was now a Impressionistic picture of fury.

"Aka-chin." Murasakibara growled.

"Let me crush her…"

Akashi narrowed his heterochromatic eyes at the Judo boys, and wondered for a moment whether he should spare them or not. Then he felt the soft touch of Kuroko's pale hand over his tightly clenched fist, and so he stared at the bluenette.

Kuroko gave the redhead a gentle smile. It was the kind of magic he used whenever the president was in a diabolical mood.

"There's no need to make a hasty move." Kuroko spoke softly.

Akashi stared at those sky blue puppy eyes in wonder. "Do you have a plan, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko nodded yes in response.

"Leave it to me." He said in an assuring tone.

"I'll ask Midorima-kun for help."

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When Kagami came to the restaurant she was already two hours late. Exhaustion blanketed her like a heavy cloak, and it made Wakamatsu worried sick.

"I'm sorry I came late." Kagami bowed before her boss in apology.

"Nah, no problem." Wakamatsu replied.

"But you look tired. Shouldn't you take a night off?"

"No!" Kagami shook her head insistently. "I need to work…"

She went into the employee locker room before Wakamatsu could reply.

Inside the employee locker room, Kagami winced in pain as she checked her left leg. A long gash marked the length of skin from her knee down to her ankle. It was a wound she got from the bike accident a while ago. When she brought the guy to the nearest medical facility, she forgot to ask the doctor to check her.

_**I'll just buy medicine later,**_ she said to herself.

Kagami changed into an employee uniform and fixed her hair, tying it into a neat ponytail. When she came out, she saw Wakamatsu sitting at a table, talking eagerly to a man wearing an expensive-looking black suit and silk tie. The man has messy, shoulder-length jet black hair, and wore a pair of black framed eyeglasses. He had a carefree smile on his face, but just as easily as she had judged Akashi Seijuuro, Kagami instantly thought of the stranger as a dangerous person.

"Who is Wakamatsu-san talking to?" Kagami asked Sakurai once she came into the kitchen.

"Eh?" Sakurai, who was chopping some vegetables, craned his neck to take a look at Wakamatsu and his companion.

"Ah…I'm sorry, I haven't told you before. That's Imayoshi-san. Our boss."

"Eh? Really?" Kagami was downright shocked. "I thought Wakamatsu-san owns this restaurant."

Sakurai shook his head. "Wakamatsu-san only serves as the manager. Actually, even as I say Imayoshi-san is our boss, he does not own this business at all."

"You mean he's not the actual big cheese here?" Kagami's curiosity was piqued.

"We can simply say that he's the temporary boss." Sakurai replied. "Even so, I want you to be careful whenever he is around…"

There was an unusual grimness in Sakurai's voice that made Kagami slightly tremble. Her gut feeling has never failed her.

She kept Sakurai's advice in mind.

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"You've been gone for a long time, _oyabun_!" Wakamatsu was glad to see Imayoshi after the boss came back from Osaka.

"Really? I was only away for a week." Imayoshi answered with a smile.

"Although I would've taken a lot longer if I hadn't found something…"

"Aomine said that you were looking for some runaway debtor."

"That's right."

"A guy who owed the Triad a huge amount of money?"

Imayoshi nodded yes. Wakamatsu gave him an incredulous look.

"Seriously?"

"There are a lot of people in this world who are desperate to get out of the pit of suffering." Imayoshi said darkly.

"Unfortunately, there are some measures taken that could only cause them to be buried deeper into the abyss…"

Silence enveloped both leader and subordinate like an invisible cloak.

"Aomine has told me." Imayoshi was the first to break the silence. "That you have a new employee."

Wakamatsu nodded. "Yeah. A part-timer. She's been her for a week now."

"What a surprise. There's hardly a guy who can stand working here at night. Are you saying that this girl doesn't mind serving the rowdy hooligans?"

Wakamatsu grinned at the other man like a father who was proud of his own child's achievements.

"She doesn't mind, but when she gets annoyed she simply kicks them out of this place."

Imayoshi chuckled heartily.

"Interesting. I would like to meet her."

Wakamatsu swiveled in his chair and spoke in a loud voice.

"Kagami, the boss wants to meet you!"

_**Kagami?**_ Imayoshi was frozen in his seat.

Kagami came out of the kitchen area, walking slowly and eyeing the two men carefully. She was a lovely girl with long, fiery red hair, and crimson eyes.

_**Exactly like the girl in his picture,**_ Imayoshi thought, and he could not hide his amazement.

_**God, I'm so lucky.**_

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Aomine opened his eyes and found himself lying on a clean, white bed, and so he was certain that he was not in his own bedroom that night.

So where was he?

He sat upright – slowly, for he could feel the stabbing pain on his body and on his skull as he moved. He glanced around, and realized that he was in a hospital ward. He finally remembered what had happened to him.

The intersection. The girl. The bike accident. The shameful moment when he thought he would die because he got hit by a bicycle, of all things.

The girl.

Aomine could not help but remember the beautiful girl with fiery red hair, again and again.

_**And her tits aren't bad, too,**_ he thought absentmindedly.

A female nurse suddenly entered, and stared at Aomine in shock; she must have thought he was supposed to be asleep.

"My, you're up already?" she said. "But you should rest…"

"I'm fine." Aomine replied, a tad exasperatedly. "Where am I?"

"You're in a hospital. Your girlfriend brought you here."

_**Girlfriend?**_ Aomine arched an eyebrow. Somehow he didn't feel like correcting her.

"You're a lucky guy, you know." The nurse continued, while checking the tanned youth.

"She said she had to leave so that she can work to have money to pay for your medical fees."

"What?" Aomine was surprised. "She left?"

"Yes." The nurse replied, baffled. "Is there a problem?"

Aomine returned the look of puzzlement at her and asked.

"You see…she had this leg injury…"

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**This is probably the chapter with the most number of words. Pardon for any grammatical errors.**

**Please please please leave a review.**

**Arigatou! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Domo!**

**Chapter ten is here! Sorry it took so long. I hope you leave a review afterwards.**

**Douzo!**

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Kagami had no choice but to walk home after work. Not only had she destroyed Hyuuga's bicycle, she was also limping slightly because of her injury. That was why Hyuuga Junpei had quickly forgotten all of his anger when she arrived at the apartment.

"I'm really sorry for damaging your bike." Kagami said apologetically.

"What happened to you?" Hyuuga asked, his tone more concerned than angry.

"I got into an accident. I'm really sorry…"

"Kagami-chan! Are you all right?" Riko was surprised to find her tenant injured when she came downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Kagami smiled to hide her agony but she was wincing in pain.

Riko eyed the red-haired girl's leg and frowned.

"Hyuuga-kun, take her to her room. I'm going to get my first aid kit."

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Kagami was reluctantly carried to her room by Hyuuga. Despite that the teenage girl was light-weight, taking her two floors up was an effort for the guy.

"You damaged my bike and you probably broke your leg in the process." Hyuuga grunted as he gently placed Kagami on a chair.

"Did you seriously go to school?"

"Of course I went to school!" Kagami replied.

"Really?" Hyuuga slumped on another chair without her permission.

"You look like you've been into a fight."

Kagami pouted her lips in annoyance. "I…did get into a fight." She grumbled, her crimson eyes drifting away from him.

"What?" Hyuuga could not suppress an incredulous look at her. "At school?"

Kagami nodded yes. "At Teiko High."

"Teiko?" Hyuuga smiled for the first time. "No wonder."

"What do you mean 'no wonder'?" Kagami was puzzled by his reaction.

Hyuuga was about to give a reply, but the landlady suddenly came in, carrying her first aid kit.

"It's simply a long but not so deep cut plus a sprained leg, so I guess you can walk fine tomorrow." Riko said as she checked on Kagami's injury.

Kagami simply watched as the owner of the apartment took care of her leg skillfully, like a paramedic.

"Don't be so amazed." Hyuuga told her. "Her father's a sports trainer. Riko is good at observing the human body. If you broke a limb, she'll know it in a jiffy."

Kagami nodded, but she was nonetheless astonished.

"There." Riko finished wrapping a gauze around Kagami's leg.

"Thanks a lot." Kagami said with a smile.

The landlady eyed her suspiciously, and it made the redhead feel uneasy.

"What happened?" Riko stood up and folded her arms, like a mother who suspected her little child was doing a mischief.

It was Hyuuga who answered for Kagami, however. "She is studying in Teiko. Now guess what happened."

"Teiko? Teiko High School?" Riko raised an eyebrow.

"Did you fight that yakuza brat? Aomine Daiki?"

"Aomine…Daiki?" Kagami was baffled.

"No, not him…whoever he is."

"Oh." Riko smiled. "Good. Better not mess with that boy."

"She's right." Hyuuga promptly agreed.

"He's that guy whom you don't wanna trifle with."

Kagami stared at the two of them. Both Hyuuga and Riko looked dead serious. Whoever this yakuza brat Aomine was, he was definitely not just any kind of teenager. Then there's Akashi Seijuuro and the Student Council, with its legion of titans.

Kagami gulped in nervousness. Teiko High surely in full of dangerous individuals.

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Aomine came home later than usual, apparently because the people in the hospital did not allow him to leave without contacting his parents or guardian. Momoi had to come and get him out.

"What happened to you, Dai-chan?" Momoi asked when they came home. It was almost ten in the evening, so the house was silent and all of its noisy residents were sound asleep.

"Nothing serious." was Aomine's grunted reply. He kicked his shoes off at the entryway and was about to go to his room when his cousin pulled him into the living room.

"Oi. What the hell?" Aomine slapped her hand away in irritation.

Momoi stared at him worryingly. "I have something important to say. You have to know this."

The look of concern in her eyes quickly got Aomine's attention. "What is it?"

Momoi glanced around, as if the walls have eyes and ears. She pulled him closer as she whispered in his ear.

"Dai-chan, Imayoshi-san is planning something for you."

_**No surprises there,**_ Aomine thought. Imayoshi loved to plot stuff to make fun of him.

"I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with the position of being the head of the family."

_**Hold on a second…**_

"What?" Aomine asked, a bit too loudly.

"Ssh." Momoi silenced him.

"What is he planning to do?" Aomine spoke in a hushed tone this time.

Momoi shook her head and frowned. "I don't know…but he's been having secret discussions with Susa recently."

"What were they talking about during their meetings?"

"I still don't have much details yet, however – " Momoi suddenly remembered the time when Imayoshi and Susa were having a whispered discussion in the living room. Susa had mentioned something about marriage.

"Dai-chan, I think Imayoshi-san wants you to – "

"My, my, how come you two are still up?"

Both the _kumicho_ and his cousin jumped in surprise. Neither of them had noticed Imayoshi come in.

"Aomine?" Imayoshi was startled when he saw the gauze around Aomine's head. "What happened to you?"

"This is nothing." Aomine replied, exasperated.

"Where have you been, _oyabun_? It's strange to see you come home so late…"

"I've vsited Wakamatsu, that's all." Imayoshi smiled. It was a mysterious smile, and Aomine felt uneasy when he saw it.

"Did something happen?" the _kumicho_ asked.

"Nothing, nothing." Imayoshi vaguely answered before heading to his room.

Aomine narrowed his eyes in suspicion as the _oyabun_ walked away.

"Satsuki." He said in a low tone.

"Keep an eye on him. He's up to something, and I don't think it's good…"

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When Kagami woke up the next day she was glad to find out that her leg was feeling better than last night.

"Just as I have told you." Riko smiled when she checked her red-haired occupant.

"Too bad, Hyuuga-kun's bike didn't share the same fate as yours."

Apparently, Hyuuga's bicycle had been hospitalized in the repair shop. Kagami had offered to pair for the expenses, but the landlady had insisted and said no.

"I'll pay for it." Riko said.

"And since Hyuuga-kun does not use his bike often, I might as well buy it from him…"

"Does Aida-san need to ride a bike to travel?" Kagami asked, simply out of curiosity.

"What? No." Riko grinned.

"You're gonna rent that bike from me. That way I can earn a couple of yen."

Kagami simply smiled. "Is that so?"

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Kagami had to leave the apartment early, since she could not use the bike yet. She was fortunate that Teiko High was not far from home.

_**Every cloud has a silver lining,**_ thought Kagami.

_**Walking helps me gather my thoughts…**_

As she walked to school she remembered the unforgettable events that had happened to her recently. She thought about her father, and how to find him. Then thoughts about Teiko High and its nasty dictator of a student council president followed. Lastly she thought about the time when an army of giants chased her, and the accident at the intersection.

It was then that she remembered _**him**_.

"I wonder if he's fine now." Kagami murmured to herself as she walked past the gates of Teiko High. She had barely noticed the students murmuring loudly at that time, as if they were frantic about something.

She should have noticed.

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Kagami had been thinking deeply at that time that she barely dodged the quick and heavy fist that shot through the air from nowhere.

"What –" Kagami ducked down, and luckily shun the total surprise attack from the furious Murasakibara Atsushi.

" – the hell?"

Murasakibara was very fast for his size. He swiftly gave another strike. This time he hit Kagami's side, but the redhead defended herself against the attack by blocking it using her book bag.

"Crap." Kagami could feel the pain in her injured leg again. Her sudden movements must have caused her sprain to return.

"I'll crush you…" Murasakibara growled low, and lifted an arm for a death blow.

_**I'm dead,**_ Kagami thought in horror.

"Oi, Atsushi! Just what the hell are you doing?"

Both Kagami and Murasakibara were stunned by a guy shouting. They both glanced at the speaker. A tall, tanned youth with short midnight blue hair and eyes stood at the gates. His presence immediately made everyone back away, afraid that a battle was about to happen.

Kagami's crimson eyes widened in shock when she realized who he was. It was the guy she had accidentally hit yesterday.

"Who told you to beat up an injured girl?" he said.

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**I know I've been saying this a lot, but…Review?**


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